New research from the University of Kentucky now suggests that vitamin D may serve an important function for organs and tissues, particularly the brain, with lower than normal levels leading to serious deficits in cognitive function and may even cause brain damage.
In a new study published in Free Radical Biology and Medicine, researchers from the University of Kentucky fed middle-aged laboratory rats a low vitamin D diet for several months. Testing then revealed that the rats had several damaged brain proteins and developed free radical damage to the brain.
The rats experienced a noticeable decrease in their cognitive performance as a result, as well as diminished performance on learning and memory tests.
This study is particularly important, as low levels of vitamin D have also been associated with the development of Alzheimer’s disease and the occurrence of certain cancers and heart disease. Vitamin D deficiency is a common problem among the elderly and in areas of the world marked by widespread economic hardship, making these results even more concerning.
Allan Butterfield, director of the Center of Membrane sciences in the University of Kentucky Department of Chemistry and lead author on the paper stated that these results show “adequate vitamin D serum levels are necessary to prevent free radical damage in the brain.”
Butterfield recommend that physicians test their patients’ vitamin D levels to ensure they are getting enough dietary vitamin D. In patients where vitamin D levels are low, physicians can recommend dietary supplements, increased sun exposure each day, and foods that are high in vitamin D.
These foods could include fish such as salmon, sardines, and tuna, eggs, mushrooms, and fortified dairy products. These simple steps can help to increase vitamin D levels and help protect both bone strength and brain tissues.
When ingesting any eggs, fish or dairy products, please be sure the source is contaminant free and organic.
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